Can I Help You Find Something?
by ShindeTsuku
Summary: Target!AU where Anna and Elsa are separated at a young age due to divorce. Years later, Anna turns 18 and needs a job, so she applies at Target, where she will soon run into her long lost sister, Elsa. Rated T for now, might be changed to M depending on how things go. Elsanna! DL;DR!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is my first Frozen Fanfic, and will be very much Elsanna. Rated T for now, but might be changed to M depending on how things go. DL;DR

Can I help you find something?

"Anna, I think you should get a job over summer," her step-father said, breaking the silence around the dinner table. "You're 18 now. I think you can help out with paying the bills. Just because you've graduated high school, does not mean you can spend your summer doing nothing of use."

Anna's eyes went wide, and she looked to her mother for support. Unfortunately for the redhead, she wasn't in luck that evening. It appeared that her mother had been part of this decision. _They've been planning this, I can tell! Mom has that look in her eyes again._

"What? Daaaad, that's…ok, it's totally fair but that sucks! Can't I have SOME time off?" she begged. "I just got the new video game everyone has been talking about! I need a week to finish it! I mean, I guess I could do it before and after work, but then the story gets kind of jumbled and I might miss some of the more subtle things and…" she trailed off, loosing enthusiasm as her stepfather shook his head.

"You could come work with me at Target!" her stepbrother Kristoff said excitedly! "I'm sure if I put in a good word for you, they'll hire you in no time!" He grinned from ear to ear as he looked to his father for approval.

"Hmm, that would be a good idea. They offer good benefits, too," he said with a nod to his son. "Anna, you should apply tomorrow," he decided for her.

She glared at her step-brother, kicking his knee from under the table. _Why would I want to work with you, dork?!_ She mused to herself. He could practically read her mind as he let out an over-exaggerated yelp. Her parents both glared at her, but they knew it was futile.

"You really should thank me, Anna. At least they'll know not to mess with you!" he declared with an even bigger grin. "I'll look out for my poor little sister, don't you worry!"

"Aww, and here I wanted to relax!" she pouted more. She pushed some of the broccoli around on her plate as she tried to find an excuse to get out having to apply the next day. _Maybe I could ask for an extension from good grades? No, that won't work…I only got one A and he's already going to be upset when he finds out. Best not poke that hornets' nest._

"Ugh…I guess," she finally responded before stuffing a large piece of baked potato into her mouth. She winced and flailed from the sudden heat, which sparked another series of chuckles from Kristoff. With a glare in his direction she tried to wave the heat out of her mouth.

Her mother rolled her eyes before looking to the head of the table and giving her husband an apologetic smile. He was not amused, but let it go for now as he continued his meal. Kristoff looked very pleased with himself, and was grinning at Anna as she fought with the potato.

"Don't be like that, sis! It'll be fun, and I can tell you who to be friends with and who to avoid. You should join Flow with me!" he announced, looking at his step-sister for approval.

"Ugh, no way!" she barked out, mouth still full of potato. "If I work there, I'm working in the clothing department. Maybe the kids' clothing or something, hmm, I dunno for sure," she pondered. Looking to her mother and step-father, she found them both in agreement. _Hey, they _both_ think my idea is right? That's kind of scary!_

"Flow team would be much too harsh for her, Kristoff," Anna's mother said, "And the hours are not great, either. You're constantly having to ask to pick up shifts or stay late. Anna is much more suited to working with something gentle, like clothing."

Her step father nodded to his wife, swallowing his bite of steak. "Quite true. I know the pay will be lower, but Flow team is too much. I'm afraid she'll trip carrying the first valuable thing she unloads!" he joked.

"Dad!" Anna pouted, glaring at him, "I'm not _that_ clumsy! Jeez, you act like I trip over nothing!" she said, trying to stab some peas with her fork. She missed, sending them flying across the table and into the gravy dish. She looked sheepishly around the table before blushing a deep red. "Ok, maaaaybe I'm a bit of a klutz from time to time…"

Kristoff burst into laughter, holding his gut as tears streamed from his eyes. "Oh my god, Anna, that was _perfect_!" he managed to remark between bouts of laughs.

Anna's mother had a hand over her mouth, trying in vain to stifle a laugh of her own. She picked the peas out of the gravy dish, plopping them down on Anna's plate with a smirk. "Ready for round two, honey? You might want to try a scooping motion this time," she chided.

Anna huffed, crossing her arms and sticking her tongue out at Kristoff. She sighed as she looked to her mother, rolling her eyes. "Oh, don't you start now! I've got it hard enough dealing with this lughead and his ridiculous reindeer! Seriously, who has a pet _reindeer_?!"

"Heyyy, leave Sven out of this!" Kristoff shot back as he his laughter suddenly faded away. "You know he'd have died without Dad and I! And you love him just as much as we do, even if he kind of smells sometimes." Kristoff said defensively.

_Jeez, of course I love him! I just like to tease you about it, you know that!_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a stern voice coming from the head of the table.

"Anna…" her step father warned, giving her a serious look, "You know what Sven means to him. Be nice," he said with an authoritative firmness that only came out when things got serious.

_Shit, there I go again…_ she thought, looking to Kristoff sincerely. "Sorry, you know I didn't mean anything by it. Sven is really great, and I'm glad we have him," she said, hoping to soothe everyone's nerves with a nice comment. "He's the coolest pet anyone's ever had."

Kristoff softened his expression as he reached across the table to ruffle Anna's hair. "See? It's not hard to admit how amazing Sven is. Remember the time you went to feed him, and slipped in his poop?"

"Kristoff!" his stepmother shouted at him, "Mind your manners! We're _trying_ to eat dinner, here!" She looked to her husband for support, raising an eyebrow at him. "Right, dear?"

Mr. Bjrogman was very protective of his son, and Anna always felt there was obvious favoritism. She knew he meant well, but knowing that they shared no actual blood bond seemed to mean she got a more harsh treatment despite being both the younger child _and _the daughter of the house.

"Alright, well, I guess tomorrow I can go apply. I'll set my alarm and ride my bike over around ten," she said, hoping it would please her step father. _At least I can start my game and get a feel for it. It's only an application, so I don't really need to be more than marginally awake._

"No, Anna, I'll drive you over. I want you up and ready to go by 8:30. Besides, if you take a tumble on your bike, you'll be covered in mud. I don't want to leave any room for your klutziness to get the better of you. First impressions are everything, after all!" he decreed. There was no arguing with him about it, so Anna just nodded and went back to finishing her dinner.

* * *

The next day, Anna bolted upright as her alarm began to blare its incessant beeping tone at her. She flailed wildly until her finger found the silence button with a soft thud. She let out a loud yawn, running her hand through the huge mop her unruly hair had turned into overnight.

"Anna, you need to be ready to leave in thirty minutes," her father announced through her bedroom door, as if he'd been waiting there for her alarm to go off.

She sighed as she turned to look at her clock and turned the alarm off. It read 8:02 am, and she was not pleased by this. Nearly slipping on a pair of jeans left on the floor from the previous night, Anna stumbled into the bathroom to attempt to control her hair. _Seriously, how does my hair do this _every _morning? Do I really roll around that much?! _With some aggressive de-frizz and an expert use of her brush, she managed to get her hair into the usual twin braids in just under ten minutes.

"Ok, Anna. You can do this! It's not like you'll have an interview today, after all. You're just filling out an application," she told herself. Looking in the mirror, she nodded once before heading back into her room to find something to wear.

"Ugh, my best jeans are in the wash again…hmm…" she pondered as she dug through her closet before stumbling on an old, almost unused pair of khaki pants.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense!" she exclaimed as she tugged them off their hanger. "Would a red shirt be too presumptuous?" she asked herself, deciding instead on a forest green t-shirt.

"Anna!" her stepfather shouted from the kitchen, just as she entered. "Oh, good, you're here. Breakfast is ready, so eat up!" he told her, pointing to a plate of toast, eggs, and bacon.

"Mmm, this smells great! Thanks, Dad!" she chirped excitedly as she sat down. Before her stepfather could say anything she had already devoured half of her eggs.

He looked down and simply shook his head in wonder before taking a seat across from her to eat his own meal. "Now, Anna, please make sure to stay calm. I know you're excited, but you need to give them a good first impression."

She gave him an annoyed look as she stuffed a quarter of her toast into her mouth. _I know, jeez! It's not like I'm getting interviewed today! It's just a retail job, anyway!_ Her thoughts were interrupted as her father cleared his throat. She looked up to see him giving her a stern look. She managed to swallow most of the toast in one gulp, looking down at the table.

"I know, I know! Just because I'm destroying breakfast doesn't mean I'm going to freak out once I get there!" she huffed before she stuffed another scoop of eggs into her mouth. _I hate it when he gets like this…treating me like I'm still a kid! I'm 18 now!_

He glared at her, finishing his bite of toast before speaking. "Watch that tone of voice, young woman. Your actions here should reflect your actions outside of our home. Slow down and eat like a normal person, and don't talk back to me."

The redhead huffed again, but didn't say another word as she finished her remaining food. She slid out of her chair, scooping up her dishes to put them in the dishwasher without so much as looking in her stepfather's direction. _I know you want what's best for me, but do you have to be such an jerk about it? You don't treat Kristoff like this!_

She ran back upstairs to grab her purse and make sure her makeup was fine before heading back downstairs and into the garage to hop into the back seat of her stepfather's car. She got on her phone, sending a text to her friend about the reason for this trip. Within seconds the received a response, and her previously sour expression brightened instantly. _Oh my gosh! Rapunzel works there already? Maybe this whole work thing won't be so bad after all!_

The driver's side door opened, and her stepfather slid down into his seat. He looked back at her, through the mirror. "You're suddenly happier looking. What happened?" He started the car and opened the garage door at the same time as he waited for her response.

"Oh, I texted Rapunzel to tell her I was applying, and she said she works there already. I'm kind of excited now!" she informed him with a bright smile. "If I can work with her, then things won't be so bad."

"You'd better not use that as an excuse to slack of, young lady," he warned her as he pulled onto the road. He made his way onto the main road of their small town, and they fell into a comfortable silence.

The drive to their local Target took barely ten minutes, and by 8:45 Anna was halfway through filling out the application at the kiosk by guest services. She didn't notice as a tall, slim blonde woman walked past her towards the time clock. Her step-father stood beside her, making sure she filled everything out properly. When she was done, the two of them approached the front desk for further instructions. They were met with a warm smile as a young woman with long black hair and dark skin greeted them.

"All done, then? You should hear from us in about a week, give or take. You're Kristoff's little sister, right?" she asked. Her name badge read Nani, and it had Anna's curiosity peaked.

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Anna said, playing with the hem of her shirt. "C-can I ask you something, Miss Nani?" she said, to her step-father's surprise.

"Sure thing, hon. What can I do for you?" Nani replied with a kind smile and a welcoming nod. She stood in a relaxed manner as she looked to the blushing redhead.

"Oh, um, I was just wondering where you're from? Not that you can't be from here, of course, but your name is different – oh, not in a bad way, just…" she mumbled, face getting more and more red with every word.

"Hahaha, oh, you're so cute! I'm from Hawai'i, dear," she replied casually, "and don't worry, I get that all the time. Is there anything else you need?"

Anna shook her head, looking down as she flushed deeper red. Her step-father let out a small sigh as he led Anna to the door.

"Anna, please, you must control yourself. You don't want to embarrass yourself before you even have a job," he warned her with an all too familiar condensation in his voice.

"I know, I know…but her name was so cool, and she looked so awesome! I really want to work with people like that!" she decreed, nodding happily to herself as she got into the family car. Her mind was abuzz with ideas of who she would meet as she retreated into her own little world for the ride home.

When they arrived, Anna was out of the vehicle almost before it had come to a complete stop. She rushed into the house only to crash into Kristoff as he rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Woah there, fiestypants! What's got you in such a rush?" he asked with a light chuckle.

"Oh, um, we just got back from filling out the application and I really wanna go play my game, so I was hoping to lock myself away in my room for the next 12 hours, give or take!" she announced as she tried to slip past him and towards the hallway leading to her room.

"Not so fast, young lady!" her stepfather's booming voice came from behind her, and she stopped instantly in her tracks, "Being that you've got this extra free time, you can do some chores around here until you get a job."

Her shoulders slumped as she slowly turned around to stumble back into the kitchen. Kristoff already had a bowl of cereal in front of him, and was digging in like he hadn't eaten in days. She took a chair beside him, refusing to look up at her stepfather.

"Your attitude needs some adjustment, Anna Bjorgman. You act as though helping around the house is such a burden, and yet your mother and I have raised you without so much as a single chore assigned to you while you completed your schooling. We have been more than lenient in your upbringing in the hopes that you would use your freedom to ensure good grades. Despite this, you often brought home less than stellar report cards. I am not trying to guilt trip you, but your personal standards are too low.

Furthermore, your mother and I have decided that, in addition to paying rent, you should also take on the responsibility of helping with chores. We've already decided which chores you will do, and made a weekly list. They should take you no more than two hours to complete per day."

He handed her the list, printed out and obviously made in Excel. It had boxes to check off upon completion, and each chore was listed as either daily or weekly, along with brief descriptions of what each entailed.

"We have also decided that your time on that game system should be limited to no more than three hours per day. You waste far too much time on those games as it is," he continued on.

During this, she simply sat and started at the table. She heard his words, but all that she took in was that her life was now being micro-managed, and her mother agreed to everything. _Aww, come on…more work? I'm already getting a job, and I only got one C last year! Ugh, there goes my summer!_ She was so caught up in her internal monologue that she barely responded to anything he said.

"Are you listening, Anna?" her stepfather asked angrily. He was not known for his patience.

"Y-yes, I am! Sorry, I'm still thinking about work and stuff..." she trailed off, knowing the excuse wasn't good enough. She took the chore sheet and looked it over in dismay. _What is all of this stuff? Some things Kristoff used to do, now given to me…plus some other stuff?_

"Read the list well. Ensure that you understand each task, and then you will sign your name on the bottom to show your compliance. Kristoff may help you with some of them, if you are unable to do them yourself right away."

"Sweet!" her stepbrother belted out from beside her, "you're going to be taking some chores from me! Don't worry, sis, they're pretty easy - especially the cat stuff. I'm sure you could do everything in an hour if you put your mind to it!" he said supportively before digging into his third bowl of cereal.

"I guess…" Anna replied, letting out a sigh and pouting his direction. She finally looked up to her stepfather, trying to give him her best puppy dog eyes. "Can't I have a little more time playing games? Three hours is just so little! I mean, maybe four or five?" she pleaded.

He looked down at her with narrowed eyes, considering her request. "I'll speak with your mother about it," he finally answered, "though I wouldn't get your hopes up. Ever since we bought that thing you've been holed up in your room far too much. Even when Rapunzel comes over you two stay in there. You need to get out more, like you did as a child."

Anna just sighed, looking the list over again. "So when do I start with this stuff?" she asked without moving her gaze. _Right now, of course._

"As soon as Kristoff is done eating, he can show you what you need to know. Tell me when you've finished your daily chores, and I'll check your work to make sure you haven't cut any corners."

"Good timing, then! I'm all done!" Kristoff said as he rinsed his dishes and put them in the dishwasher. "What would you like to start with, sis? I'll help you with everything, if you help me with all of mine. Only today, though."

Anna nodded wordlessly as she followed behind him. Four hours later, they were done with everything and Anna was exhausted. "How the hell do you do this much every day, _after_ having work so early in the morning? You're inhuman, I swear!" she said with an exasperated sigh.

"Nah, you get used to it! I'm gonna go have a shower, Anna. I suggest you do the same. Cleaning Sven's yard doesn't exactly leave you smelling like flowers." He said with a grin before disappearing into his room.

Anna took one whiff of herself and nearly choked on the smell. _Wow, he's not kidding! I smell like literal crap!_ She slipped into her room to follow his unexpectedly wise advice. Just as she got to the shared bathroom, she realized she could hear the water running already.

"Damnit, Kristoff! Don't take too long! I don't wanna smell like shit all day!" she yelled, pounding on the door. She retreated to her room, her thoughts on the previous hours of labor. _If this is what I have to go through every day until I get a job, I want to get a job right now!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Sorry for taking so long. I'll try to update faster in the future.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock," Anna said as she started at the clock with droopy, bored eyes. She rolled onto her side to stare dreamily at her lonely console, now moved to the family room. "Mmm, I wish Rapunzel wasn't at work...or that I was there with her. I can't wait for them to call me so I can work with her and meet everybody!" she mumbled aloud to the empty house. "Kristooooph, come home and do stuff with me!" she pleaded at the front door as she rolled the other direction to look towards the entrance to their home.

Her cell phone buzzed cheerfully with this month's ringtone, and she jumped to her feet and pulled out the old hand-me-down phone she'd gotten from Kristoph in one clumsy motion, bumping into the grandfather clock to keep her balance.

"Hello, Anna Bjorgman speaking!" she politely chirped into the phone after seeing it was a number she didn't know.

"Yes, this is Elinor from Target. Could you come in for an interview tomorrow, at 9am? We'd like to get to know you a little better in a first interview," she said in a warm and inviting tone.

"Oh, uh, yeah! Sure! 9am? I can do that, no problem! I'll, uh, see you tomorrow then? Right, yeah, sounds good!" Anna replied excitedly. She would have to work on her tendency to ramble before she talked her way out of a job her stepbrother assured her that she had already, but the nerves of having her first interview were getting to her.

"Good. We'll see you tomorrow, then. Thank you, Miss Bjorgman," she said pleasantly before ending the call.

As if on cue, Kristoph came in the front door just as Anna returned the phone to her pocket. He looked tired, as was usual after a day's work of unloading the large trucks Target receives overnight. Anna almost tackled him into the door right as he turned around, a big grin spread across her face.

"Woah there! Hey, sis! What's got you all spazzing out?" he asked, returning her affection with an overly strong bear hug.

"I just got off the phone with Target! They want me to come in for an interview tomorrow!" she announced with complete glee in her entire being.

Kristoph's already big smile grew seemingly tenfold, stretching across his whole face. He hugged Anna until she was squirming against him, trying to break free for a breath of air. He released her, blushing softly. "Oh, sorry…I got a bit excited there. I guess you still need to breathe, huh?" he asked, his smile never fading.

The redhead nodded as she gasped for breath, smile never fading. "Yeah...of course! You big lug!" she giggled, punching his shoulder ineffectually. "Dad's gonna be really happy. Six days seemed like forever, especially with Punzie being at work so much. I'm excited to finally start working, and show them all that I can do it!"

"Congrats, though! I mean, I knew they'd call you since you're my little sister, but that's still good news! Have you texted Mom and Dad yet?" he questioned.

"Oh! No! I mean, I literally just got the call as you were coming in the door. I should totally text them though. I bet they'll be super-excited and happy for me! I should stop rambling and text them. Doing that now…" she trailed off, her excitement getting the best of her. With trembling hands she managed to send her mother and step father a message each, informing them of her good news.

Her mother replied almost immediately, and Anna was quick to read the response aloud. "That's great, honey! Just remember to have your nice clothes washed and ready for tomorrow."

With a gasp of realization she set out to make sure she had something to wear. Halfway through her search for a nice blouse, she received a strikingly similar text from her stepfather. She picked out what she thought looked both professional yet not too fancy, and sent replies to both parents telling them she was ready.

"Anna, come here!" her mother yelled across the house as she stepped inside a little over an hour later. "Come here so I can give you a big hug!"

Anna came careening around the corner, her socks losing traction over their hardwood floors as she rushed to meet her mother. "Yes, ma'am! I'm right here!" She hugged her mother with almost the same intensity as her bother, knocking her target into the door. "Oops, sorry Mom! Uh, how was work?" she asked, trying to keep up the good mood.

Her mother rubbed the back of her head, giving Anna an annoyed look from the overzealous bit of affection. "It was fine, dear. But seriously, you need to tone down that energy of yours! Kristoph might be able to handle it, but I certainly cannot!" Despite her warning, Anna's mother gave her a warm smile and made her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"Your father will be home late tonight. We'll be ordering pizza to celebrate the good news, and then you'll be off to bed early! I don't want you staying up late and botching your interview, ok?" she said after finishing her water.

Anna and Kristoph chirped in unison with an excited "Yay!" at the mere mention of pizza. "Jinx!" they both screamed at each other, before falling into a fit of giggles. Their mother rolled her eyes at the pair, but smiled as she dialed their local pizza shop to place the night's order.

A few hours later, after having consumed nearly half of a large pizza on her own, Anna retired early as her mother suggested. "Night, you two! I'm gonna go sleep off all that delicious pizza, and get some rest for tomorrow morning!" she called out to them as she ascended the stairs up to her room.

"Sleep well," her mother replied before she was out of earshot, and Kristoph just nodded absentmindedly while he cheered on the local hockey team.

* * *

Morning came too early for Anna as she leaned over to shut off her alarm. She hadn't slept well due to both her nervous excitement and the gaseous buildup of all the soda she drank the previous night, and it showed. Her hair was a mess, with red locks sticking out in an explosion of bed head. Drool had dripped down her cheek to form a small pool on her pillow, and a few strands of her hair stuck to her lip.

"Nnn, alarm...what am I getting up for again...?" she asked herself as she sat upright and tried to gather her mental faculties. She almost nodded off again, but then it clicked as she looked over and saw the clothes she had chosen the night before hanging and ready. "Oh, right! Interview!" she said to herself as she swung her feet to the side and slid out of bed. A twenty minute shower helped immensely, though her hair was still a crazy mess. She spent another ten minutes drying and fighting with her hair. With an exasperated sigh, she pulled it back into her usual pair of braids. Not great, but under control.

"Anna, breakfast!" she heard her stepfather yell from the kitchen.

"Coming! I just need to get dressed!" she shouted back as she pulled her pants on.

Her family, excluding Kristoph who was already at work, sat around the table and ate in comfortable silence, as was their preference. Anna's attire had been approved the night before, and so she simply dug into her food. Her mother sighed, wondering what had happened to the more feminine daughter from Anna's younger years, or where she put all the food. The girl before her had certainly picked up some of her stepfather and stepbrother's habits, including the tendency to devour whatever was put before her.

"Woah there, tiger," Anna's stepfather said with a soft chuckle, "Don't want to choke on your food and miss the big interview!"

"Daaaad!" she said, barely keeping a mouthful of eggs from spraying across the table. She covered her mouth, but couldn't hide the blush as she looked to her mother. "Sorry, I guess Kristoph has really rubbed off on me lately…" she said after finishing most of her mouthful of food. "It's really good, though! Thanks for the great meal!"

Anna's mother smiled, knowing she had at least taught her daughter to appreciate the things she was given…even if her delivery could use some work. "Anna, dear, please don't talk with your mouth full, even if the food is quite satisfying," she pleaded with a nod to her husband.

Anna's blush darkened as she concentrated on simply swallowing properly. She was done her food in less than five minutes, and had the dishes rinsed in another two. "Ok, Dad...I'm all set, I think? I didn't put on much makeup, like you said." She went through a mental checklist, ensuring that she had all she needed.

"Stand up straight, and let me get a good look at you," her stepfather commanded. She followed orders, and he gave her a quick walk around. "Ok, I think you're acceptable for a first interview. Let's get going."

Anna kissed her mother's cheek, trying to hide her nervousness. She relaxed a bit as her mother hugged her, but she could feel something building in her stomach.

"You'll do fine, dear," her mother said with a smile, "Just show them how eager you are to work there, but also try to stay calm. I have faith in you."

Anna nodded once before twirling around and heading into the garage to hop into her dad's car again. She slowly breathed in and out, trying to steady herself. "You can do it, Anna! Just relax," she told herself as her stepfather sat down beside her.

She sat in silence, going over everything she had prepared a few times. Her resume wasn't much to speak of, so she'd been instructed to talk about her better grades in school, and her future goals and how she could be a part of Target in the long run.

"Dad, why are interviews so scary?" she asked as they pulled into a parking spot. She looked over to him, and he was chuckling as he looked to her.

"Because that way your true self shines through. Which may be a bit overwhelming for them, but I know you can do it. Just believe in yourself, kiddo." He reached over to rub her shoulder, giving her an uncharacteristically warm smile.

"Uh, thanks Dad..." she responded. _This is weird...he's being so supportive of me. Maybe I really can do this!_ She continued to give herself mental prep talks the entire way inside, and up to the break room. The redhead took an empty seat to the side of the small room she had been directed towards, smiling warmly at the few employees that were enjoying a break. She heard someone calling her name and snapped back to reality, blushing as she looked up to see who wanted her attention.

"Anna?" she was asked again, and this time she sprung to her feet!

"Oh, um, yes, sorry! That's me, I'm Anna. Anna Bjorgman! It's nice to meet you, um..." she leaned in to read the name badge pinned to the right side of the young woman's shirt, "Miss Roxanne!" Anna looked over the mousy girl before her, with similarly long red hair and a cute button nose.

"It's fine!" Roxanne smiled as she lead Anna to a small office for her interview. "Please sit down, and we'll get started."

Anna was already lost in thought, gazing about the office and taking in the sheer number and variety of small plush Target dogs that were spread around the office. "Wow, so many cute little dog plushes!" she exclaimed, without thinking.

"Oh, yeah, Elinor loves them, so she collects them. She's our Human Resources Executive," Roxanne commented as she spread out a few papers in front of her. "So, Anna, tell me about yourself. What makes you want to work for Target?"

* * *

After nearly 45 minutes of rambling on too long with every question, but showing just how eager she was to work, Anna and Roxanne both stepped out of the office with smiles on their faces.

"Thank you for the interview, Anna! I'll report to my manager, and then we'll be calling you in a day or two for your second interview. If all goes well, which I think it will, you'll be hired on within the week!"

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much! Sorry I rambled on so much...I just get carried away, you know?" Anna apologized for the fifth time as her cheeks flushed slightly. "So, uh, where do I go from here? I'm kind of lost up here. I didn't even know there was a second floor!"

Before Roxanne could answer the younger girl's question, Anna was scooped up into a big hug, much to her surprise!

"Hey there, fiestypants! Just have your interview?" Kristoph asked as he set Anna down again. "And, uh, hey Roxanne. I hope she wasn't too much trouble for ya!"

"Kristoph!" Anna pouted, blushing furiously at such a display in front of the person who just interviewed her! "Why do you have to do that so much?!"

Roxanne rolled her eyes at the blonde man's antics, bidding her farewell as she made her way back down to the sales floor. Anna couldn't help but notice Kristoph's eyes following the diminutive woman, and she let out a giggle.

"Ooo, you like her, don't you!" she said as soon as she was sure Roxanne was out of earshot. She giggled even louder as his face flushed with embarrassment, and he gave her an annoyed look.

"Yeah, well, she's taken, so it's not gonna happen. Anyway, is Dad here?" he asked indignantly.

"Mmhmm. He's downstairs in the cafe, waiting for me. Are you going to ride home with us, instead of walking?" she asked as she followed him to his locker. She smiled and waved at the girl in the HR office before she accompanied her stepbrother downstairs.

"Yeah, I might as well," he replied, smiling when he saw his dad sipping a cup of coffee and reading the day's newspaper. "Hey Dad, how's it going?"

"Very well," his father replied as he stood to greet both young adults. He gave Kristoph's shoulder a pat before looking to Anna with serious expression. "How was the interview? You spent quite some time up there, young lady."

"Oh, uh, yeah! It went fine, I think. At first I had to wait for Roxanne – she did my interview – to fetch me, and then we got settled down in her office, or the office she was borrowing, or whatever. Anyway, she was really cool, and she had me look over some paperwork to make sure everything was correct, which of course it was because you helped me fill it out! Um, so after that she asked me a bunch of questions, and you know how I am, I kind of ramble on like I'm doing right now. Anyway, after a while the interview was done, and she seemed really happy and said I should be getting a call tomorrow or the next day for my second interview!"

Anna's stepfather simply nodded as he extracted the meaningful information from his stepdaughter's speech. "Mmm, very well. If that's all they need from you, we'll be heading home now. Kristoph, are you coming along?"

Her stepbrother nodded once, continually amazed at Anna's ability to say so much, so quickly, and with so little time for breathing. Out of the corner of his vision he saw the the morning electronics team member already bringing up a guest to do some sort of exchange, and was awestruck by the sheer whiteness of her long, finely braided hair. He snapped to attention as the redheaded girl waved in his face.

"Helloooooo? Earth to Kristoph? We're leaving now, silly! C'mon!" she urged him to follow her out the door.

* * *

The trio returned home soon after, with Anna and Kristoph hopping out almost before the vehicle had stopped moving. Anna dashed into the kitchen to find her mother reading the newspaper; Kristoph lumbering in behind her moments later. She was already halfway through her explanation of the events of the morning, and had finished the story before he even started a bowl of cereal.

"Congratulations, honey! I knew you could do it! Come here and give me a big hug!" her mother commanded, and the two met in a tight embrace. "Just remember to be a little more calm next time, ok? I don't want your excitement to get the better of you, when we know you'll be a great employee."

Anna nodded, taking in a few deep breathes to make up for the ones she'd just skipped. "I have the cutest red shirt to wear, too! Oh, but can they have designs on them, Kristoph?" she asked, turning to the blonde.

He swallowed what looked like three bites of cereal before shaking his head. "No, sorry fiestypants, they can only have the Target logo on them, or nothing at all. It sucks, I know," he mumbled before shoveling more food into his mouth.

Anna's stepfather put a hand on her shoulder, having made it into the kitchen finally after parking the car and closing the manual garage. "Just make sure you get the job first, and then worry about what to wear. I'm proud of you for getting through the first interview, even if you did ramble on far too much."

The redhead felt her whole body tense up, but at the supportive words of her stepfather she visibly relaxed. "Thanks, Dad! I, uh, I'll do my best! I think I should get to my chores now, though. Punzie said she has today off and said she'd probably head over later."

She headed up to her room without another word, sending Rapunzel a text to let her know she was back home but would need a couple hours to finish up her chores. She changed quickly, not wanting to soil the nice pants she'd worn for all of two hours or her favorite green shirt.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **I was delayed due to having to find a new Beta reader, but he's amazing. I recommend his fic, Bloom: s/10468645/1/Bloom

Chapter 3

Anna was already opening the door as Rapunzel raised her hand to knock, and both girls erupted in giggles immediately. "I swear, Anna, one of the days I'll _actually_ get to knock on your door!" the brunette said as she caught her breath and stepped inside.

Anna just shook her head as she closed the door behind her best friend. "Nope, not if I can help it! Even when I'm a little old lady, I'll still be ahead of you!"

Rapunzel just rolled her eyes as she made her way to the living room and plopped down in a chair like she lived there. "Mmmk, whatever. So what are we doing today, now that you're done your chores and I'm off until tomorrow?" she asked.

Anna took a seat across from her. "I dunno, we could go to the movies? Make Kristoph come along and buy our tickets!" she suggested, grinning from ear to ear.

"Wouldn't Flynn get all pissed off if my brother bought you a movie ticket, though? After all he went through to get you to go out with him, I mean?" Anna asked, remembering the trials and hardship Rapunzel had put her poor boyfriend through.

"Nah, I don't think so. He knows your family and mine are practically related. Besides, Kristoph is so obviously hot for Roxanne anyway! Speaking of, you said she did your interview? How did it go?"

Anna barely skipped a beat as she launched into a detailed description of her interview, spending almost as long recounting the event as it took to actually happen.

"Wow, you're crazy!" she said as Anna finished her story. "Forty-five minutes for one interview? Still, knowing her I think you've made a great impression. She's the type to like people who are honest and easygoing. You still talk way too much!"

"I know, I know! I think I've done way too much talking already, so why don't we watch a movie? I'm thinking Mean Girls. We haven't watched it in almost two weeks!"

"Hell yeah! Something I can sit back and relax through," she replied, followed by a tired sigh. "You really know how to wear me out!"

Anna popped the DVD in, and before long they were both happily engrossed in their favorite movie.

"I love that movie, no matter how many times I watch it!" Anna said, grinning over at Rapunzel who simply nodded in agreement. "But now I'm hungry! Wanna go grab something to eat? My Mom gave me some cash for doing so well with the interview, and helping out with chores. I don't know how Kristoph used to do it all on his own, especially after work!"

"Yeah, your brother's pretty good at doing menial tasks, especially ones that are labor intensive!" she chided, and they both broke into more giggles.

"Oh my gods, Punzie, that was great! But really, let's head out and grab a bite to eat!" Anna suggested as her stomach growled for the second time in as many minutes. She hopped to her feet without needing confirmation, and both girls were out the door in five minutes.

* * *

After a short fifteen minute walk, they found themselves on Main Street. On a cool evening such as this, the pair tended to just walk where ever they needed to go. The small size of the town meant that most things were located fairly close together, and with summer in full swing it was warm enough to not require a jacket.

"What do you feel like, Punzie? I'm not really sure what I want - I just know I want a lot of it!" Anna said as she looked down street to think over their options.

"Well, since you've only got $20, why not go to Taco Bell?" she responded, motioning with her head towards the restaurant half a block away. "I know you get gassy from it, but you're free to lay around and be lazy tomorrow, right?" she added, giggling at her best friend.

Anna huffed, trying to think of the right come back, but getting lost in the moment and nearly running into someone in the street. "Whoops, sorry! I was, uh, on another planet. Sorry!" she apologized to the man, skipping around him to the sounds of Rapunzel's laughter.

"Oh my gods, Anna, way to be a space cadet again!"

With a blush, the redhead just giggled and nodded. "Yeah, you know how I get sometimes. Anyway, yeah, sounds good. I can get a whole bunch of tacos!"

As they quickly slipped inside to consider their options, Anna's phone beeped to notify her of an incoming message. She checked it quickly, and her face lit up. "Awesome! Kristoph says that he heard through the grapevine that Roxanne gave me a glowing recommendation to her boss!"

Rapunzel hugged her tightly, with a big grin. "Sweet! You'll be one of us in no time, then! It'll be fun having my best friend at work with me."

Anna's gaze shifted up to the menu, trying to decide how many tacos she wanted. When Rapunzel had finished her order, she stepped forward to make her own order of a dozen tacos and a giant coke.

"Jeez, Anna, I know you have a hollow leg...but _twelve_ tacos? You're insane!" Rapunzel giggled as she sat down with the redhead.

"I'm hungry! All those chores take a lot out of you! Plus I haven't eaten since this morning," she retorted.

As their pile of food was delivered, Anna let her thoughts drift towards her soon-to-be place of employment, and all the people she would meet. The two girls spent almost an hour chatting and eating before eventually heading to their respective homes. Rapunzel had work the next morning, and thus needed to be home at a reasonable hour.

* * *

"Jeez, where did the week go?" Anna asked herself as she stepped inside the Target for the first time as a team member. Her mind drifted back to the second interview, how she had ended up in a giggle fit – along with her interviewer – before finishing the story of how Sven had gotten stuck on a floating piece of ice and Kristoph had lured him to shore with a carrot. It had gone well, even if she once again took almost an hour. _The drug test was annoying, but I guess that's standard procedure. _

"Anna, you dork! Don't just stand there, come clock in!"

Snapping back to reality, Anna grinned awkwardly as she hurried over to the time clock where her best friend was waiting. "I'm really nervous, Punzie! I mean, this is my first real job, and I have no idea what I'm going to be doing," she confided.

Rapunzel just rolled her eyes, giving the redhead an incredulous look. "Anna, you'll do awesome. The trainers here are really nice, and they'll make sure you learn everything you need. Trust me! Now clock in and let's get going!"

Anna relaxed and smiled, giving the blonde a big hug. "Thanks! You're right, I've got this! Anna Bjorgmann, reporting for duty!" She quickly typed in the her team member number before following Rapunzel to the operator's desk to meet her trainer and get to work.

"I think you're with Cinderella today, which is good. We call her Cindy. She's really nice, and a good trainer. Her hair is almost as long as mine, and blonde as well. We sometimes get mixed up because of our hair," Rapunzel commented as they walked.

"Great. I promise I'll do my best. Is that her?" Anna asked, pointing to a tall woman with the signature blonde hair. She smiled as they approached, and was quickly introduced.

"Follow me, Anna, and I'll show you the basics. It's not hard work, you just need some common sense and a bit of work ethic," Cindy said with a warm smile as she demonstrated the proper method of folding a t-shirt.

Anna nodded enthusiastically as she picked up a t-shirt that had been discarded, and tried to fold it the way she had been taught. After two tries, she got it right and set it down on the table in its proper place. "Do people really just...leave this stuff in such a mess every day? That seems really rude."

"Yeah, it can be a bit daunting some days, but we work together and support each other. If one area gets hit particularly hard, we shift around to help." Cinderella had already folded one side of a display table as she worked with practiced efficiency.

"You're really good at that! How long have you worked here, Cindy? Is it ok if I call you that?" Anna inquired as she folded yet another shirt before slipping it into the pile in proper size order.

"Cindy's fine. I don't really mind either way," she replied. "And I've only been here a few years. I work as a seamstress on the side, and I'm just waiting until I can get good enough to have that as my primary source of income."

* * *

Five hours later, Anna found herself sitting with Rapunzel in the break room, gossiping about their fellow team members. The topic of cute boys came up almost instantly, with the blonde going on about her boyfriend and his love of the toys department.

"There's a couple other guys that are cute, but Eugene is definitely the best. Even if he goes by Flynn and acts all cocky...but he's a total sweetheart when it counts," she said, checking her phone. "He actually gets in at four tonight, so I'll see him a bit before I'm done for the day."

"That's awesome! I wonder if I'll meet anyone special while I'm here? It sounds like there's a few guys that might be worth looking into. Any cute girls?" Anna asked her best friend.

"Um, yeah, there's a couple. The electronics girl, Elsa, is really pretty...but don't bother. Everyone calls her the 'Ice Queen' because she doesn't really talk to people unless she has to. Somehow manages to be great with the guests, though."

"Hmm, that names sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it. It's like I've heard it before, and it means something big...gah! I'll probably remember tonight, while I'm trying to sleep. So, anyone else?"

"Mmm, well, there's a couple with us in softlines, but we're all taken," she replied using the Target jargon for the clothing side of the building. "Hardlines is mostly guys. The only other place with many girls is the check lanes, but it's a bit difficult getting to know them since they're always ringing people up."

"Hardlines...that's all the non-clothing stuff, right?" the redhead asked. A simple nod from Rapunzel was all she needed. Lunch had been a quick affair consisting of a small pizza, a cookie, and a soft drink to wash it down. "Thirty minutes must feel like a long time without someone to talk to," she mused.

"It can be, but normally I just check my Facebook on my phone, or play one of those free games Eugene keeps finding for me. Some days I swear lunch break goes by in a heartbeat. Those are the worst!"

As they continued to chat, neither noticed the tall blonde woman who slipped into the far side of the break room to eat a small meal brought from home. She quietly unpacked her food after putting on a pair of soft blue earbuds. She didn't even hum along to the music, instead sitting passively as she ate.

"Well, time's up. Ready to get back to work, Anna?" Rapunzel asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, sure. Three more hours, and I… still have all those chores to do… but I've figured out how to get some of them done really quickly. I should be showered and ready to relax by 6:30! Not too shabby, if I say so myself."

Rapunzel simply rolled her eyes at her best friend as they made their way downstairs and to the time clock. "Remember, you have to wait at least thirty one minutes to clock back in from lunch. This thing is really, really particular about that. It's down the to second," she said as she punched her number in.

Anna simply nodded in reply as she tried in vain to remember her number. Failing that, she pulled out the slip of paper that had it written down, and clocked back in. "How long did it take you to remember your number, Punzie? I've got the first half of mine memorized, but eight numbers is so long!"

"Oh, jeez, I don't even know. A couple weeks, maybe? You'll find that you've got it down pretty fast, even if it feels like forever. Now come on, other people are waiting for us to get back so they can take their lunches."

"Yeah, of course! Wouldn't want to keep anyone waiting," Anna commented as they walked back to their areas. "Hey, wanna come over tonight and watch a movie or something? It's been almost a week since we've hung out!"

"Yeah, that sounds great. I'll show up around seven, just to make sure you've finished all your chores and had time to shower," she replied with a smirk.

Anna rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "Hey now, Kristoph is back to doing all the Sven chores, so I don't end up smelling like reindeer poop every night! I do get kind of sweaty from some of it, though it's helped me build some serious upper body strength! Check these guns out!" Anna pulled her right sleeve back and flexed, showing off her newly toned biceps.

"Woah there, girl! No need to show off your guns like that!" Rapunzel retorted with a giggle. "I don't think you'll need to be a bodybuilder to hang pants and fold t-shirts."

"Hey, you never know. Some of these dresses are kind of heavy, if you had to carry a bunch of them. Anyway, I see Cindy over there, so I'm gonna catch up with her and continue my training. You were right, she's super nice!"

The two girls parted ways once again, getting back to their work as the day continued on.

* * *

As Anna laid in bed that night, she found herself thinking back to the conversation she and Rapunzel had at lunch. _Why does the name Elsa ring a bell so much? I swear I know someone with that name, but it's just like… argh!_ Tormented by the thought, she tossed and turned for at least an hour before she finally managed to fall asleep. It wasn't long before she began to dream.

"_Help!" she called out as she ran towards her front door. She looked back at the advancing wolf, only to trip over her feet and fall to the snow covered ground. She rolled onto her back as sweat rolled down her brow. "Mommy! Daddy! Help me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The wolf advanced at a measured, even pace, and she scrambled to move backwards while still on her back. _

_Her boots slid in the snow without the necessary traction. "Someone, please!" she screamed again, and this time she got a response. "Anna!" Turning towards the door of her house, she saw a blurred image of a girl with bright blonde hair, leaping down all five of the front steps in one go._

_A snarl brought Anna's attention back to the wolf, which was now less than five feet from her. Its calculating, dark grey eyes boring into her very soul. She knew she was done for, and that her sister could do nothing to stop the wolf. _

"_Anna, back up!" she heard her sister cry out again, from no more than ten feet behind her. She kicked her feet at the snow, and her heel found purchase against the rocks below. She pushed herself back about a foot as her sister came bolting around to stand in front of her. _

"_Go away!" the blonde screamed, but Anna could see the wolf looking at them both, unfazed. It seemed to think for a moment before it lunged at her sister. A scream built up inside Anna, but before it could be released she saw something unexplainable. Her sister thrust her right hand forward, fingers open wide. She hadn't been wearing gloves, but her fingers were an icy blue color, and from them came a blast of snow. The swirl impacted the ground below the wolf as it was midway through its leap. An explosion of ice instantly rocketed outwards in jagged spires, each measuring between two and four feet. Several pierced the wolf, ending its leap in a fraction of a second. It barely managed to yelp before the ice grew further, presumably killing it right there. _

_Neither girl moved an inch as the gazed upon the aftermath. Anna's heart thundered in her chest, her breaths coming in quick, short bursts. Her sister seemed to be panting for air as well. "W-what happened?" Anna asked, unsure if she had really witnessed the events unfold before her._

_Her sister turning to look down at her, tears pouring out of the corners of her icy blue eyes. "I...I killed it. And now," she hiccupped, "now they're going to take me away and I'll be gone forever!" She subbed uncontrollably as she ran into the house without even giving Anna a second look. _

"_No! Wait!" Anna shouted as she scrambled to her feet, but it was no use. Her sister was older, and had a head start. By the time the redhead had gotten inside, her sister had locked herself away in her room. _

Anna bolted upright in her bed, eyes snapping open as she tried to remember all of the harrowing dream she had just experienced. It had felt so real, but something like that was impossible. "It's ok, Anna. Just a nightmare," she told herself as she laid back down. Her brain hurt from trying to recall the dream, but somehow she _knew_ that it wasn't as unbelievable as it seemed. Something about it was so genuine.

Over the next few shifts, she learned a great deal about interacting with guests, putting up the stray items that were left throughout the building, sorting through mixed stray that was brought to the operator's desk, and many other things she'd never imagined anyone did. The second day she worked, she had come in later in the day to find Cinderella waiting for her at the time clock. Closing had been an entirely different experience from opening the building, both in terms of the sheer amount of people and the added duties that were only performed by the closing crew.

* * *

Nearly a week later, Anna found herself once again meeting Rapunzel at the time clock. She had dreamt of the wolf – and her sister – again, and the lack of sleep it caused her was evident in her expression.

"What's with you, Anna?" Rapunzel asked as she punched in her number.

"I've had this weird, scary dream a couple times in the last few nights. I wake up from it, sweating and my heart racing. It's weird, and magical...but it feels so _real, _you know? Like I'm remembering something, only this is very obviously impossible. Magic isn't real." She tried to punch her number in by memory, but the fatigue was hitting her hard and she had to check her phone for the number again.

"Well, at least you'll get to chill out during morning huddle today. And it's Tune in Tuesday, where electronics goes over all the new releases. It'll probably be at least half an hour without us having to do anything. Sorry about the nightmares, though. That must really suck."

"Oh well. A bit of caffeine and I'll be good to go," the redhead replied as they made the now familiar trip back to the operator's desk to start their day. "It's just that I only have the dreams when I think about that name, Elsa, before going to bed. It's so frustrating, because I just know it's something important, but… I still can't place it."

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Maybe it'll come to you when you meet her today? If not you could always ask," the blonde said as she sat down and turned the phone on day service.

"What do you mean, meet her today? She works in...oh, right! She'll be in the huddle! That's a good idea, Punzie. Thanks!"

Rapunzel was asked over the walkie to call all sales floor team members to the electronics counter for the morning huddle. Anna shivered with anticipation as she made her way over for the first time.

A small group of people were already there, including Elsa. Anna's eyes widened when she saw just how pretty the young woman was. Rapunzel hadn't been exaggerating in the slightest! The redhead casually stood to the side of the counter, watching as Elsa set out the new releases with an incredibly neutral expression. _She seems so withdrawn. I wonder why she's like that?_ Anna though to herself as the Leader on Duty got everyone's attention to start the huddle.

"Ok, everyone! Glad you're all here. I'd like to start off by introducing our newest team member! Anna, would you like to sya a few things about yourself?" he asked, smiling and giving her a nod.

"Oh, uhhh, sure. I'm Anna Bjorgmann, and this is my fourth day working here," she replied hastily.

Elsa let out a loud gasp, which caught everyone's attention immediately. They turned to face her, and she had a hand over her mouth. "Anna...Bjorgmann?" she repeated as a question.

"Y-yes, Elsa?" Anna asked, looking straight into the blonde woman's icy blue eyes. Realization hit her all at once, as she vividly remembered her recurring dream. "Oh my gods, you're my sister!" Anna said without letting Elsa have another word.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: A much quicker update this time, but school starts this week and it may be a month or so before my next chapter. Thanks again to Seaside for his amazing work as a Beta.

All eyes were on Elsa, who was staring intently at Anna. Neither girl knew what to say, but both knew they needed to speak. Elsa was the first to decide, and she did so with a look of pure determination. "Yes, I am. Unfortunately, this is not the time nor place to sort out our histories. Let's continue with the huddle, and perhaps once we have time to ourselves we can speak more on the subject?"

Anna was only managed a simple nod to her long lost sister, entranced by her clear blue eyes. As her attention slowly returned to the world around her, and she made her way behind the electronics counter to join Elsa. Withdrawing her phone, she handed it to the older woman. "Here...add yourself to my contacts..." she mumbled, trying not to gather too much attention.

Elsa looked down at the phone presented to her, and a mental battle raged on in her head. _Mother will be furious when she finds out...but I can't just ignore Anna now that she works here. We've been apart so long. Too long._ With trembling hands, Elsa hesitantly typed in her phone number. She looked to her little sister when she tried handing the phone back, and she nearly fell to pieces.

The redhead had begun silently crying, though she didn't seem to realize it quite yet. Tears streamed down her cheeks, offset by the brilliant smile she wore. "Elsa, I've missed you so much," she whispered as she leaned against her sister, "Where have you been?"

"I, it's a long story. Now is not the time, Anna. You know this," she replied in her usual hushed manner. She handed the phone back, along with a tissue she had swiftly withdrawn from her pocket. "Here."

Their hands brushed against one another as Anna accepted both items, causing her to gasp as how cold Elsa's hands were. She slipped the phone in her pocket and wiped her tears away without breaking eye contact. "Thank you, Elsa. Do you think we can talk during our breaks? I really want to know where you were all these years, and why I haven't seen you in so long! I'd almost forgotten about you, and yet here you are. Not that I'd forget about you! You're unforgettable! So, um...how long have you been here?" she questioned, knowing she wouldn't get an immediate response.

In front of them, the huddle had wrapped up and team members were heading their separate ways. Their morning Leader on Duty joined them at the counter with a warm smile. "Why don't you girls take a few minutes to talk? I can cover the boat."

"Boat? Oh, you mean the electronics desk," Anna said, answering her own question. She looked back at Elsa with such a pleading look that her sister couldn't even object if she'd wanted to.

"Yes, that would be nice. Thank you." She turned to Anna, motioning for her to follow. "Please come with me. We can talk in the backroom."

Anna nodded and followed along, her gaze swept over Elsa as she tried to memorize every detail of her newly rediscovered sibling. They pushed through a pair of double doors and into the backroom, where Elsa led them into the locked electronics storage room deeper within. When she was sure they were alone, she finally turned to face the girl she hadn't seen in over a decade.

"Anna, I'm sorry. I...our mother forbade me from contacting you after the divorce. Father took me away into the country to limit our potential contact," she said with measured tone. Looking down, she could see the hurt on her sister's face. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but it was for the best."

Tears began their descent once more, a steady stream lure by gravity onto the cold cement floor, as Anna took in her sister's words. "I, what, why? Why would she do something so awful?! I've been without my sister for, for, I don't even know how long! Ten, fifteen years?"

"Sixteen this autumn." Elsa confirmed with a sigh. "You've become so beautiful, Anna. Please, please don't hate me. I just wanted you to be safe..." she trailed off. Her hands had become an icy blue as frost crept along her wrists and under her sleeves.

Anna was taken aback by Elsa's words, and the sudden shift caused her to smile. "No, I could never hate you! And you're beautifuller! Not fuller, but more beautiful...oh gods I've missed you!" she almost shouted as she stepped forward to hug Elsa tightly. "Oh wow, you're so cold! Are you okay?"

Elsa gulped as she tried to compose herself. Taking a series of deep breathes, she concentrated with all of the impressive willpower she'd built up over her twenty-one years to regain her calm. "I am fine, Anna. I'm normally cold, but the cold never bothered me. Anyway, I believe our few minutes are up. We should return to our jobs."

"But we've barely had time to talk at all! Please don't leave me again!" Anna exclaimed, surprised by her own volume. "Please?" she asked once more, not yet defeated.

"We can speak again during lunch, and then perhaps after our shifts have ended. Forgive me, but people are waiting on us." Elsa looked down and offered a small smile to reassure her despondent sibling.

Anna sighed as she nodded. "Fine, but you'd better not run away! I'm not losing you again, you hear?" she decreed with a surge of false bravado.

"I won't, Anna. Not again. You have my number," she responded as she opened the door for the redhead. Letting her sister take the lead, they made their way back to the boat where their LoD had just finished helping a guest.

"Ahh, you're back. Everything ok between you two?" she asked. Elsa nodded, with Anna following suit. "Good. I'll try to make sure you both have lunch break at the same time so you can talk more. I won't pry, but you two know my door is always open if either of you need to talk. We've also got a counseling service if needed."

"Oh, um, that's really great of you! I think I'd like to talk just between us for now, and see how it goes?" Anna replied while looking to Elsa for confirmation.

"Yes, that would be best. There's no use troubling someone else if it's unneeded."

"Well then, let's get back to work. I'll let you girls know when I've figured out your lunch times, but until then carry on as normal," she said before walking off to take care of her own things.

Anna looked into Elsa's eyes once more as she sent a smile along. "See you in a few hours, then?"

"Of course."

* * *

Four hours later found the sisters sitting together in an otherwise deserted break room. Elsa had forgone her usual earbuds in order to talk with Anna, though her relative silence remained. Anna told her about the recurring dream she'd been having over the last week, and Elsa had spent almost the entire time desperately trying to hold her powers at bay.

_Conceal, don't feel! Conceal, don't feel! I can't let her see my powers!_ The blonde fought with herself as the unfamiliar tingle of a chill ran down her spine. _She still remembers when the wolf attacked her, but hopefully she'll just think the magic was a product of her subconscious dream state._

"Elsa, are you listening?"

The blonde's icy eyes snapped up to Anna's turquoise ones, and she nodded. "Forgive me. The dream you've been having is quite interesting. I wonder what caused you to come up with such a fantastical event?" she replied.

"That's the thing, Elsa! I know it was real, I just know it! It felt like it was more of a memory than anything else! I mean, I know something like you having ice powers is crazy, but it might help to explain why our parents got divorced. Mother never says anything about those days. What really happened back then?"

"Anna..." the elder sister whispered. "We were both children. It was so long ago I barely remember any of it. Our father never spoke of it, and I doubt your mother will tell you."

"You mean _our_ mother? She's yours, too. But why don't you just ask our father?"

Elsa tensed up once again before letting out a slow breath. "Because he's dead. He died in a car accident about a year and a half ago. A drunk driver hit him, and they both...careened into the lake," she explained with a somber look taking over her features.

Anna gasped and her eyes went wide. "Oh my gods!" she exclaimed as the words sank in. She sat in stunned silence for half a minute. "But...shouldn't someone have told me? I mean, I know my stepfather has raised me since I was little, but I should have been told that my real dad died."

Regret filled Elsa's eyes as she sighed. "I looked up your address and sent you a letter. If your mother found it first, she may have kept it hidden from you."

Grief overcame the redhead as she leaned down against the table. "I never even got to know him, and now he's gone...but why would Mother hide something like that from me?" A renewed stream of tears fell across her cheeks.

"Because she blames me, most likely. She thinks I was the cause of the divorce, and wants to keep me out of her life. Yours as well." She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes and sighed for what seemed the thousandth time. _When she finds out about us meeting each other here she'll probably make you quit, too._

Before Anna could find the words to respond she felt herself being pulled into a tight hug from behind. "Hey feistypants! How did you manage to score a private conversation with the Ice Queen?"

"K-Kristoph?!" Anna gasped as she wriggled free of his grasp. "When did you get here?" she asked him angrily.

"Just now. Why, am I interrupting your lame attempts to flirt or something?" he shot back with a grin.

"Ugh, no! She's my sister, you doofus! I'm trying to find out why we've been separated for so long!" She crossed her arms and glared daggers at her stepbrother as a blush settled over her freckled cheeks.

"What, sister? No way! How does that even work?" he balked at her.

"Just ask her!" she huffed in reply, turning to face said sister.

Elsa, for her part, wasn't sure whether to burst out in a very uncharacteristic spout of laughter, or run away screaming. Instead she chose a middle ground that had her looking over the boisterous young man who had interrupted their conversation. "I am her sister, but we became separated when her...our mother divorced our father when we were both young. And I don't think we've been properly introduced. You work on the Flow Team, correct?"

"Oh, heh, right. I'm Kristoph, Anna's amazingly handsome stepbrother. And I guess that makes you, uh, not exactly related to me in any way?"

Elsa tensed up. There might have been a chance to convince Anna not to speak of their meeting to their mother, but this complicated everything. "Kristoph," she said with steely resolve, "Please do not speak of this event to your father or stepmother at all. Anna, please do the same. They cannot find out about this."

"But why?" Anna immediately responded as she turned to face Elsa, her arms still crossed from the back and forth with Kristoph. "This is such an amazing thing! Being reunited like this, after not seeing each other for almost sixteen years - I mean I didn't know if you were even alive! I can't just go home and pretend it didn't happen!"

Kristoph stood behind her giving Elsa an incredulous look. "Yeah, I don't see what the big deal is. Sure your parents got divorced, but that's not a reason to hide yourselves. What's the worst that could happen?"

"You just have to trust me on this. Our mother cannot know that Anna and I have each other again, let alone the fact that we work together," she decreed. The ice had crept up along her fingers again, and she hid her hands behind her back to ensure neither saw them. "Anna, we need to get back to work. Lunch break is over."

"But there's so much more to talk about! And why can't I tell Mother?" Anna complained as she followed behind the blonde woman. "Elsa, you're not making any sense here! Stop and explain it to me!" she demanded as she reached out to grab her sister's hand. Feeling the intense cold of the ice, she let out a sharp gasp and let go. "Gods, your hands are so cold again!"

Elsa stopped at the top of the staircase, her heart thundering in her chest. "Anna, let it go. We can talk later, but we need to get back to work." Without saying anything further, she walked down to the time clock and continued on with her business.

Anna stood frozen where Elsa had left her, watching her sister go without her. She didn't know what to say as she fought off the fear that welled up inside her. "No...don't leave me again..." she barely managed to say to no one in particular.

* * *

As Anna went to clock out for the day, she saw Elsa punching her own number in. Her mood quickly brightened and her chest warmed as she quickened her pace. "Hey, Elsa! Can we talk a bit before we head home?" She felt another wave of elation as Elsa looked to her with a softened expression to nod once.

"Yes, that will be fine. When are you leaving for home?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, um, I don't know. Kind of whenever, really. I just rode my bike today, so I can get home on my own...but I do have a bunch of chores to do when I get home. What about you?" Anna followed the blonde upstairs to their lockers, dying to ask question after question but managing to restrain herself for the moment.

"I have no particular obligations today, aside from feeding Olaf – he's my cat. Would you prefer to speak another day?" They had gathered their things, and were idly standing by their lockers.

"No no no, not at all! I'd really like to talk to you right now! I mean we've only just met up again and it's really special to me and I just don't want to waste this chance! Do you, um wanna sit down? I'm sure it'd be a lot more comfortable than us just standing around and talking, right?" She felt her cheeks turning red as she realized how much she was rambling. "Oh my gods I'm rambling- I'm so sorry lets go sit down!"

Elsa couldn't help but giggle at the redhead's outburst. She smiled and placed a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Calm down, Anna. I'm not going to run away again, so you can take your time." She then motioned for Anna to lead the way, following her to their earlier positions in the back corner of the break room.

"I just...you were so angry sounding when we got off lunch, and I wasn't sure if you were going to want to talk again." She felt herself relax when she saw the caring look in Elsa's eyes.

"Forgive me, Anna. I simply wish to keep our reunion a secret for the moment. Our mother is not particularly fond of me. You must not mention a single word to her about this. Please tell me you understand." Elsa looked downtrodden from even having to speak those words, but her eyes were full of concern for the girl she clearly still cared about tremendously.

"Ok, if you say so...I trust you. So, um, why did our parents get divorced, then? I mean, we were both kids, right? What could you have possibly done to make Mother divorce Father? It doesn't make any sense to me." She spoke her words as they came to her, half musings and half questions, and she could only hope Elsa would understand her.

Elsa sat straight in her chair as she considered her words very carefully. "That is not something I feel is my place to answer. I cannot wholeheartedly disagree with her reasoning, though I do believe that her actions were a bit...drastic. I suppose it's a moot point now, though."

Anna stared at her sister with her mouth agape. "You...agree with her divorcing our father and running away with me? Even in some small way?" She sniffled, trying not to let tears fall but suddenly feeling like she had been abandoned by her sister as well.

"Not as such. There were...extenuating circumstances, as cliché as that line is. I do not forgive her for her actions in the slightest, and I have missed you dearly. I just worried for your safety. Even now I've said too much."

The redhead sniffled again as she took in everything. All this information, vague as it was, did not settle with her well. "Elsa, c-can I hug you? I want to feel you, and know you're real." Despite her somber tone, she was smiling again. "I'm going to text you every day now, just to make sure I never lose you again!"

Elsa rose to embrace Anna, smiling softly. "Of course. I'm here now, and have no reason to leave you again. It was not my choice in the first place, but now that I have the power to choose I will stay by your side forever."

As they held each other, Anna could feel tears finally streaming down her face but made no move to wipe them away. Tears of joy could flow freely and she would never feel ashamed. "Promise me, Elsa. Promise that you'll never leave me, no matter what."

"I promise, Anna. With all of my heart, I promise."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **I apologize for the delay. I cannot guarantee that the next chapter will be published with any more swiftness, but I am also working on a Rapunzelsanna one-shot that will most likely be published first.

Anna's bike bounced along the sidewalk as she rode home with a bright smile, managing to hum the entire ride and never run out of breath. _Wow, Elsa is so amazing and smart and really pretty, too! I'm so glad we got to talk as much as we did! It feels amazing to know I have a sister that's so incredible!_ As she pulled onto the driveway she could see Kristoph in the backyard playing with Sven. Her stepbrother waved at her and the pair met at the fence that kept Sven contained.

"Hey, sis! You're looking pretty happy! I'm guessing everything went well?" he asked needlessly. Anna's smile somehow grew larger and he got his answer.

"Oh, yeah! It was great!" she said cheerfully, though her expression quickly turned serious, "But remember, we can't tell anyone about it!" she hushed him as she hopped off of her bike. "You know Mother wouldn't be happy about it."

"Not happy about what?" came their mother's question as she stepped out of the front door with a smile. "Did you meet some cute boy at work?"

Anna gasped, turning to face her mother as her expression shifted to abject horror. She stuttered as she tried to come up with something, anything that could save them, but her mind was an empty canvas as she found herself unable to give even the most feeble of excuses. She looked down to the ground as shame washed over her – it had taken less than an hour to fail the one promise she had made to Elsa.

Kristoph's eyes were wide open as he too gasped. His gaze shot back and forth between his female relatives before settling on Anna. "Uh, nothing, Mother. Don't worry about it, just work stuff," he lied.

_Sweet, she's totally gonna buy it! _The redhead thought optimistically to herself.

"Come now, I'm your mother!" she derided playfully, "You know I don't believe that for a second! You can tell me anything and I'll always love you," she said as her focus settled on Anna, knowing that her maternal bond was strongest with the redhead.

"I...I can't tell you, Mother." Anna's gaze wavered between her mother, stepbrother and the front door as she spoke, contemplating her escape. "I'm sorry, I know you're going to be upset with me, but I just can't tell you."

"There's no shame in having a crush, Anna!" Then their mother turned to Kristoph with a hopeful expression, "Anything you'd like to add?"

"She, uh...she just met someone, that's all. Nothing major," he replied in another vain attempt to dissuade any further questions.

"And who might it be that she met? Some young boy trying to put the moves on her?" she continued to ask; her voice clearly amused. "What's his name?"

"It-it's not a boy, I swear!" Anna looked up into her mother's eyes, pleading for the older woman to relent.

"Yeah, Elsa's totally not a boy!" Kristoph blurted out before he smacked his hand over his mouth in realization. "Oh my god, Anna, I'm so sorry!"

Anna was stunned into silence, unable to comprehend how quickly the truth had slipped out. She hardly dared to look at her mother, who seemed to be on the verge of shock.

"Elsa...? How the… you met her at your work?" she asked of them both. In her shock, she covered the distance to Anna in what seemed like a single heartbeat to look her daughter in the eyes. "W-what did she say to you?"

"Uh..." Anna trailed off timidly, unsure of what she could say from here. "She, um, just said that she missed me, and that our father had died, a-and not to tell you because you'd be upset.."

To her surprise, her mother's expression suddenly shifted from anger to profound sadness, warm eyes already brimming with tears. _Is she_ just _finding out? I couldn't possibly run from her now..._

"Agthar...is dead? When did it happen?" Idunn asked, her voice barely a whisper. She had completely deflated, leaving behind only a shell of a woman.

Anna couldn't find her voice, instead opting to step forward and hug her mother tightly. They stood, embracing each other for what felt like an eternity until Idunn released her daughter. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks as she kissed Anna's forehead. "Thank you for telling me, Anna. I _am_ upset that you've run into Elsa again, but we can deal with her later. For now, I think...I need some time to myself. Please."

As she watched her mother turn and walk away, Anna looked to Kristoph with a feeling of helplessness. "I just...ruined her day. Probably her whole life, Kris. How could I have done that to her...?" Without waiting for a response she took off after her mother. She wanted to do something, anything, to make her feel better.

As Anna stepped inside, she could hear her mother sobbing from their living room. It broke her heart, knowing that she had caused those sobs. Anna teetered at the divide of the living room and the kitchen as she wrestled between her desire to see Idunn and duty to leave her be. With a bitter sigh she chose to give her mother the space requested.

* * *

When she descended the stairs an hour later, Anna found her mother rocking gently in her usual chair in the living room. As she slowly approached, her mother looked up at her with a sniffle. "Oh, Anna...come here with me." The woman opened her arms wide and pulled her daughter down into her lap. She kissed Anna's forehead again as a sigh escaped her lips.

"Mother, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you! I just...when I realized it was Elsa… at Target, I mean… she's my sister! I haven't seen her in, I don't know, my whole life, and I just couldn't let her go again! I really want to know why you and Dad split up, and what's so bad about Elsa? But... later. I want to make sure you're okay first. I've never seen you cry so much. You, um, you really loved him, didn't you?"

Idunn looked down at her daughter, and with a great sigh she pressed their foreheads together. "My dear, you have no idea what happened, do you? I don't think Elsa would have told you something so...impossible, would she?" She ran her fingers along Anna's back as another sob wracked her body.

Anna wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders and hugged as tightly as she could in the hopes that her love would be transferred through their physical connection. She felt her mother slowly, ever so slightly, relax under her grasp and Anna leaned back to look her in the eyes, "I'm so sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to make you cry...but I'm here, okay? I love you, and I want to help however I can."

Idunn breathed slowly as she took in her daughter's words, and like a small flame in the darkness, a gentle smile formed on her lips. "Thank you, Anna," she whispered as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She leaned back into her chair with a sigh, closing her eyes and resting her head. Without opening her eyes, she began to speak, "Now would you like to tell me how you found out that Elsa is your sister? Did she come to you?"

Anna shifted uncomfortably in her mother's lap and fidgeted with her fingers for a moment before she started, "Well...I was asking Punzie about the people at work, and when she said the name Elsa I felt like I knew it from somewhere. I even had this weird dream about her, before I saw her! Something about a wolf and Elsa stopping it with ice powers or something. Anyway, when I got to see her during huddle this morning, I looked in her eyes and it all made sense!"

Idunn opened her eyes, giving Anna a very incredulous look when she mentioned the dream. She remained silent, however.

"So, yeah...as soon as I said it she recognized me and we knew it had to be true. She talked about Father's passing, and a bit about what happened after you and he got divorced. She wouldn't tell me why, though! Nor would she tell me why you'd be upset with her. Did she have something to do with you two separating?"

After a moment of thought, Anna's mother sighed. "Darling, the past is the past and should be kept there. That said, I'm worried that Elsa will...not be good for you. She and your father made the choice to leave for a reason, and we should respect that."

"But Mother, she was still a kid! How can you say that, when she really didn't get to _make_ a choice? What if she wanted to be with me – with us this whole time?" Without waiting for an answer, Anna fled from her mother's lap and ran to her bicycle. Before Idunn could get to the door to yell at her daughter to stop, Anna was cycling as fast as she could to the first place that came to mind: Elsa's apartment.

Anna had gotten almost to the center of town when she realized she had no idea where she was going. She sent Elsa a text asking for directions to the her apartment. Less than a minute later Anna's phone beeped with a reply: _Could we talk instead? Please forgive my reluctance to text. _Anna didn't wait to finish reading before she made the call.

"Elsa!" the redhead chirped as soon as her sister picked up, "So…uh. Heeeeyyyyyy."

"What's going on Anna?" Elsa asked from the other end, concerned. "You sound like you're out of breath."

"I kiiiiiind of ran away from home...temporarily, I promise! Still, I'd really like to see you again and don't want to go home. No, I'm not in trouble! Okay, maybe a little bit, but it'll be fine! So, I'm almost to Main Street, and I need to know how I get to your place. Yes, I swear things are fine! Short story is Mom found out about you because Kristoph couldn't keep his mouth shut and I don't want to talk to her about it right now."

Anna sighed into the phone as Elsa went silent. _Oh god, Elsa's pissed – she _has_ to be pissed._ Not hearing anything from her phone, Anna checked to make sure the call hadn't been dropped. "Elsa? I'm sorry. Please let me explain?" she asked with a quiver in her voice.

Elsa took a moment to gather her thoughts before replying with an affirmative. She guided Anna to her small apartment with a few simple directions, and a few minutes later, Anna found herself standing in front of the sky blue door to room 1119. She knocked softly to alert Elsa of her presence, and was rewarded with an open door and smiling sister almost immediately.

"Hi! Sorry to bother you! Can I bring my bike in, too? I promise it's not too dirty!" she said sheepishly.

Elsa smiled warmly as she nodded, (_Okay maybe she's not pissed_, Anna thought) stepping back to usher her sister inside. "Of course, Anna. Come in. My home is your home from now on."

Anna barely managed to lean her bike against the wall before her excitement took over and she tackled Elsa with a tight hug. She buried her face in the crook of her sister's neck as the two stood there holding each other. Elsa ran her fingers up and down Anna's back in a lazy loop, kissing the redhead's forehead.

_Gosh, this is so nice! It feels like I'm finally home for real._

"I am here for you, Anna. Why don't we sit down, and you can tell me what happened? Also, would you like something to drink? I have water, milk, tea, and hot chocolate."

Anna's eyes lit up at the mention of hot chocolate, prompting a big grin to take over her face. "Oh, hot chocolate would be amazing!" She was positively beaming with excitement at the prospect of sharing her favorite drink with her long lost sister.

"Very well. Give me a moment to set the milk to boil, and we can talk."

"Okay, gre- whoa!" Anna's response was cut off as a large ball of white fur jumped into her lap. "Hey there." She felt her smile grow somehow larger as she hugged the purring cat against her. The cat seemed to have intended for this to happen as he buried himself in her embrace.

"That would be Olaf," Elsa announced from the kitchen, "And he loves warm hugs. He's been my faithful companion since Father passed away."

Anna perked up at the mention of her new feline friend's name. "Olaf? Didn't we name a snowman that when we were kids?" she asked while scratching under the cat's chin.

"Yes, we did. Your memories of our childhood are returning, then?" Elsa asked with a hint of worry coloring her normally reserved voice. She walked back into the living room to take her seat beside Anna. Her shoulders were tense as she awaited Anna's response.

"Well, some of them are. I've been having more dreams of us as kids, but I'm not sure where my memories end and my fantasies begins sometimes. Getting to see more of you is nice, even if it's it's only in my dreams." She looked down at Olaf to rub his cheeks. "You're so cute, furball!"

Elsa let out a soft sigh as she reached out to rub the base of Olaf's tail. "I'm sorry we have seen so little of each other, and I promise to change that. Like I said, you can come over any time you'd like. As far as your dreams are concerned, I would suggest that you don't look too deeply into them, and instead simply enjoy the warm feelings they give you."

Anna feigned a suspicious look as she turned toward Elsa. . "If I didn't know better, I'd say you sound like you're trying to cover something up!" She couldn't keep herself from giggling, though, and as such missed the sharp intake of breath from her sister.

For her part, Elsa managed to regain her composure before the redhead could notice. Her usual calm expression settled into place as she turned to gaze through the large window in her living room. She found herself at a loss of words at how accurate her sister was, even in jest.

Neither of them expected the sudden crack of thunder that followed a blinding bolt of lightning that seemed to strike somewhere right outside the window. Anna shrieked and Olaf fled to the bedroom simultaneously, leading Elsa to snap back to reality with a shriek of her own. A thunderstorm had been brewing outside completely unbeknownst to either of them. Both sisters looked to each other as they took a moment to catch their breath, frozen by the shock. Anna was the first to let slip a giggle, but Elsa soon joined her until they were laughing uproariously over being spooked by a single thunder crack.

"Oh man, that was great!" Anna exclaimed as she wiped tears of laughter from her cheeks. "The look on your face was _priceless_!" She sat back on the couch as another set of giggles poured forth.

Elsa pouted at her in a meager attempt to hide how funny she found the whole situation, but it was far too late for that. Mischief uncharacteristically overtook her, and she reached over to tickle her highly amused sister. Anna, who Elsa quickly learned was surprisingly agile, launched a counterattack. She pushed her sister down onto the couch before her fingers found purchase in the soft – and very ticklish – skin of Elsa's stomach!

"No, Anna, don't!" Elsa sputtered forth between a series of giggles, "That tickles so much! I can't… I can't take anymore!" Her face had become flushed from her failed attempts at fending off her younger – and apparently much stronger – little sister. "Oh gosh, I haven't laughed like that in at least a decade!"

Anna was grinning from ear to ear as she sat atop the blonde and resting on her elbows. "Good! I'm here to make sure you're happy!" Without so much as thinking to ask, she let herself down to rest upon Elsa with her head pressed into the crook of Elsa's neck again. She snaked her arms around her sister's slim waist and let out a happy sigh.

Elsa smiled down at the redhead, running her fingers gently along Anna's back. "I'll endeavor to make you happy as well. Your happiness has always been my intention, and for the longest time I believed that meant I should stay out of your life. Now that such a thing is impossible, I'll try take a more active role in your happiness."

"That's what I still don't understand, though! Why would you not being around make me happier? I mean, look how happy I am already, and we've only been reunited for a day! Not even a whole day!" She clung tighter to Elsa as she braced herself for an explanation. Even if she might not be happy to hear it, she decided that she still needed to know.

"Oh, Anna...I really wish I could tell you. I do, from the very depths of my heart, but I cannot without putting you in potential danger. I would never forgive myself if any harm were to come to you." She wrapped her arms around Anna's shoulders and tightly squeezed the girl against herself.

Anna let out an exasperated sigh and the nuzzled gently against Elsa's chest. She was unsure how to start. It was killing her that she didn't know why Elsa had left her, but she didn't want to push things too far if it would break them apart again.

"I, well, I mean, I know you want to protect me, but for the life of me I can't figure out what would be such a problem! I'm an adult, and I can take care of myself well enough. I mean, yeah, sure, I can go a bit overboard or sometimes I might act a bit rashly and do something without fully thinking about it, but that shouldn't mean you keep secrets from me! I'll tell you everything about me you could ever want to know, and probably more! I babble on enough as it is that I'm sure you'll figure me out in no time! So, I guess all this rambling means I really just want to know you better and that means that I'll constantly have this need to understand why we got separated in the first place. OK, I'm done now!"

Elsa pressed her lips to Anna's forehead for the first time in forever, and was immediately flooded with a sense of wonderment at how she managed to maintain her distance for so long. She cradled her dear, loving, perfect sister as she went over the options in her head. After what seemed like an eternity to the redhead in her arms, she finally voiced her response in a hushed voice filled with dread.

"Anna, you must not tell anyone. The only three people who can know are yourself, our mother, and I. Kristoph cannot be made aware. A mistake like the one from earlier today will not be tolerated, even if you are my sister and I love you dearly. Do you understand? I need you to look me in the eyes when you answer me."

With a gulp Anna returned to her previous position of sitting on her elbows. _Okay maybe she _was_ pissed._ She gathered her courage, looked up into the vibrant, icy blue eyes of her older sister and gave a small nod. "I promise. I won't tell anyone, ever, no matter what you tell me."

Elsa accepted the sincerity she found within her sister's turquoise eyes with a warm smile. "Good. I trust you, but I do not trust Kristoph – especially after he let slip our reunion in so little time." Her grip on Anna loosened to allow her to gingerly rub the young woman's shoulders. She took in a deep breath as she prepared to bare her deepest secret.

"The dreams you have been having. Specifically the one with the wolf attacking you. Your recollection of those events is much more accurate than you think. The...magical ice that I created to protect you, protect _us_, is very real. Medical experts have been unable to explain why I have these powers, but I very much have them. I can, for lack of a better explanation, create and control ice and snow."

A glazed look fell over Anna as she took in the incredible words of her sister. She appeared to peer past Elsa as her brain tried to process this new information. "I, what? H-how is that even possible? I mean, I totally believe you 'cause you wouldn't lie to me about something like that, but jeez, uh, wow! Like, seriously, that's amazing! Wait, does that mean Mother divorced Father just because you have magical ice powers? That's crazy! And she _still_ doesn't like you because of it?"

"Yes. She assumes that I'll hurt you with my powers. I tried to argue that her concern was unfounded, but the dead wolf in our front yard pointed to my potential to not just hurt, but kill. It was a heavy burden for an eight year old to handle but I came to accept that I would cause you harm if you were left alone with me. I shudder to think what could have happened if I did not have my powers to save you at the time, but I was ultimately at fault for letting you go outside on your own."

Anna whimpered and shook her head as she flushed negative thoughts from her mind. She settled herself enough to look her sister in the eye once again and nearly melted from the adoration present in Elsa's expression. She knew that no matter what, Elsa would protect her from harm. That thought alone was enough to fill her with affection, and she leaned forward to kiss the pale forehead before her.

"Oh, Elsa! You'll always be there for me, I know it! Don't worry about the past at all." She wrapped her arms around Elsa's shoulders and hugged the blonde woman until she felt her sister squirming for breath. With great reluctance she finally let go, only to find Elsa crying. "What's wrong? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

A short sniffle was followed by the slightest shake of her head. "No, not at all. I'm crying because I'm so happy to have you back, and because you're not mad at me for running away. How are you such an amazing person, Anna?"

Before Anna could properly respond she felt herself being pulled into as tight a hug as she had just given her older sister. She didn't need words for this, instead opting to hug back with a happy sigh. _I could get used to this. I could really get used to this._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** School starts again in a few days, so updates will be slow again. Much thanks to my beta, as well as my friends who support me in my writing. If you're interested in something a little more smutty, I posted a crossover story that's Rapunzelsanna, which is basically set in this AU with minor differences. Thanks for the faves, follows, and reviews. I really appreciate all the support I've gotten, despite my slow update speed. 3

* * *

Anna awoke, startled, to a dark and unlit room and the sounds of soft breathing directly above her. It took her a moment to realize where she was – still laying on top of her sister in the blonde's small apartment. Her phone buzzed again from the table. _Oh, that's what woke me up_. With a sigh she grabbed the phone to answer whomever deigned to interrupt her nap. "Yes?" was all she could muster when she brought the obtrusive device to her ear.

"Anna, where the _Hell_ are you?! It's almost _eleven_!" her mother angrily shouted at her barely conscious daughter. "You run away, without telling me where you're going, and expect me to just let you stay out all night? I gave you a few hours to cool off, but this is too much."

"I'm at Elsa's apartment. Where else would I have gone?" she responded as though it was the most natural answer in the world. "Well, I guess Punzie's house, but she had work and I didn't want to go there anyway."

By this time Elsa had awoken to find her arms wrapped around her younger sister - perhaps it was an instinctual reaction out of the need to protect her. "What's the matter, Anna?" The redhead needn't answer, however, as Elsa could clearly hear their mother's angry demands blasting from the phone.

"You get back here right this instant, young lady, or so help me I will track you down and drag you back here to explain yourself to your stepfather!" Her toned shifted towards concern as she continued, "We've been worried sick about you..." Anna didn't know how to react. Normally her mother was calm, even during those times where everyone else panicked.

"Y-yes Mother..." Anna meekly replied. She gave her sister a defeated look as she ended the call. "I'm in trouble, and I need to go home now." Despite her words, she settled back down onto Elsa with a wistful sigh.

"Oh, Anna, I'm sorry. I was so happy to see you that I didn't think ahead. Do you...want me to drive you home? Perhaps explain the situation?"

"No! Er, no, as much as I want you to, I don't think it would be a good idea. Mom is pretty upset right now, and I brought this upon myself." When she received a concerned look, she returned it with a bright smile. "Don't worry, Elsa! I'll be fine. They're used to me running off on my own."

Elsa wasn't convinced, but didn't push the issue. "It's dark now," she observed. "Do you have proper reflectors on your bicycle, and a light to guide your way? I wouldn't forgive myself if I let you go and you were hurt."

The small apartment was devoid of sound as Anna willed herself to get going. Even Olaf, who seemed to only stop purring to meow at his owner when he was hungry, remained eerily silent.

Finally Anna lifted herself up and off the couch to collect her things.

Elsa didn't look convinced, but didn't push the issue. "Very well. It's dark now, though. Do you have proper reflectors on your bicycle, and a light to guide your way?" She was standing now, with concern flashed across her face. "I wouldn't forgive myself if I let you go and you were hurt."

Anna was about to reply when she felt something poking at her ankles – Olaf had taken the opportunity to rub his head affectionately against her.

"See? Even Olaf is worried about you, Anna. Please, it would be no problem at all to drive you home." Elsa smiled supportively as she reached down to scratch under her cat's chin.

"No worries, Elsa! I've got reflectors on both wheels, and a flashlight attached to the handlebars!" She said with a grin.

"Oh, really now? You must be the safest cyclist on the road, then," Elsa replied with a cool grin of her own.

"Y-yeah!" she declared, momentarily caught off guard by her sister's witty retort. "My stepfather made sure I'd be safe if I had to ride my bike home after a late shift. It's only a couple miles, anyway." Anna let herself giggle at their exchange. _I know it's silly, but I have to show her I'm capable! She doesn't need to worry about protecting me all the time, like she did when we were kids._

"Very well. I suppose you should get going, then. We wouldn't want to make Mother any more upset, would we?"

"Yeah… I'll send her a text to let her know I'm on my way." She made sure to give Elsa a big, heartwarming hug before she left – along with a promise to come back as soon as she was able. "I'll let you know when I get home, OK?" she shouted as she hopped on her bicycle and, without waiting for a reply, took off down the road.

"I sure hope so, young lady!" Elsa shouted back with false severity in her voice. "Such an impulsive girl, just like she was as a child," she said to herself. "But I'm glad that she's doing so well." She watched Anna as long as possible, well after the redhead had disappeared around a corner.

As Anna pulled into the driveway for the second time that day, she was greeted by the warm, cozy lighting that her parents had decorated their house in for the summer. Anna was pensive as she rode closer – she had played out the coming conversation in her head a few times to try and find a good outcome for everyone. She hopped off her bicycle and set it in it's place in the garage before she took a big breath. Once steadied, she pushed her way inside.

"I'm home!" she shouted into the living room as she stepped inside the house proper. She expected an angry response, but was surprised when instead her mother came tearing through the doorway to pull her into a tight hug. Her hands automatically wrapped around Idunn, and they stood as if reunited for the first time in years for several minutes.

"Don't think I'm not mad at you, Anna," Idunn muttered sternly into her daughter's shoulder. "However...I'm glad you're home safe, and I love you." She let her words rest for a moment before continuing. "Now come in, so we can discuss your actions."

They walked into the living room where Kristoph sat along the couch, trying and failing to look relaxed. His eyes followed Anna as she took a seat beside him, and she gave him a small smile. Unable to contain himself anymore, he leaned over to pull her into a tight hug.

"Ack, Kristoph! You smell like reindeer!" she said with a soft giggle. Despite her complaint, the smell was comforting to her; it was the smell of coming home to unconditional love and support. She knew Kristoph would always be there for her, through any obstacle. As they pulled apart, she mouthed a thank you to him before turning her attention toward her mother.

"So...yeah. I know you're mad at me, and I know why, and I also know that it's completely my fault. I ran off without thinking, and didn't tell you where I went, and stayed out really late. I don't expect to be forgiven, so I won't bother to ask. She looked at her stepfather, with his gaze boring into her from across the room. His expression was inscrutable, but he motioned for her to continue.

"Sooo, I've been reunited with Elsa, my long-lost sister, who I had completely forgotten existed. I'm not even going to open that can of worms right now. But, uh...right. So she works at Target- my Target... and we spent a lot of time catching up, and she asked me to not tell you guys because of...what happened when we were little. Which, like I said, I'm not going into right now. Anyway, when I got home, Kristoph and I were talking about it a bit, and he let slip about Elsa, and that upset Mom. Some more stuff happened, and I ran away to Elsa's apartment, until I got home just now."

She sucked in a deep breath to recuperate from her rambling speech, and to give her family time to process everything she'd just told them. _Oh gods, what if they make me quit my job, so I don't see Elsa? And ban me from going anywhere on my own? Or ground me forever and ever so I can't see her again?_

Across the room, Jorgen cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He looked at his wife for her approval, which she gave with a small nod. His shoulders relaxed noticeably. "Anna," he started, "First off I'm glad you understand that you were wrong, but we're not letting you off easy. Second, we will definitely be discussing past events at some point in the near future."

"That said, I am hesitant that your being reunited with Elsa will be good for you, or your mother. We all know what happened back then, it seems, and maybe some closure would be good but for now that won't be happening. You've been very disrespectful of this household, and our rules. Running off on your own the way you did was incredibly rude, especially after telling your mother that your birth father passed recently."

He sat back in his chair, to give Idunn the opportunity to add her own thoughts to the discussion, which she took.

"Anna," she began just as her husband had, "My thoughts on the matter are very similar to your stepfather's. The decision I made nearly fifteen years ago was for your safety, and mine. Elsa is dangerous. What if that wolf had been you?"

"But it wasn't me! She was when she was a kid! She didn't show any signs of having problems at all!" Anna all but shouted at her parents. "She's got a cute little cat named Olaf who loves her, and she seems completely in control of her powers! How can you say that she's dangerous when you haven't seen her in _fifteen_ _years_!"

Kristoph snapped between his three family members, completely lost. "Wait...what are you guys talking about?" he asked before either of his parents could recover from Anna's outburst.

Idunn's eyes flashed wide with realization and fear. "Kristoph, go to your room. This discussion really shouldn't have happened with you in the room. I'm sorry, but this is for the best."

"No, Mother!" Anna desperately cut in, "Let him stay! We've had enough secrets in this family. Please, don't go around hiding more things..." Her pleading eyes had already started to water as she looked to her stepbrother for support.

"Enough!" her stepfather shouted angrily. He ran his hand through his thinning hair as he shook his head. "You two are very, very close to being grounded for the rest of the year. Now keep quiet; I will not have you antagonizing your mother, especially when she's clearly distressed."

Kristoph opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it when he saw just how furious his father had become. Instead he gave Anna a defeated look.

"Forgive my anger, Anna. Interrupting your mother was uncalled for, but I do agree with what you've said. Kristoph should not be left out of the dark, on something of such importance. However," he gave his son the most serious look he'd ever conjured, "Your recent record for keeping important things secret is not very impressive. What we tell you, you must _never _share with anyone outside of the five of us. Not anyone, ever."

"Y-yes Father," he stammered, "I promise I won't ever tell anyone. But still, how could Elsa be...dangerous...when she was a kid?"

Meanwhile, Idunn looked like she wanted to strangle her husband. This was a secret she had kept from everyone but him, and now years of secrecy were becoming undone. She was somewhere between tears and righteous fury while her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if to brace herself for the coming events. Her features had taken on a deathly pallor.

"I'm sorry, Mother...I really am. But this is for the best. Kristoph needs to know, so we can be a family again_."_ She gathered her feet beneath just as her stepfather began to speak.

"Elsa has, for lack of any better description, magical ice powers."

"Wait, what?!" Kristoph blurted out, earning himself an icy glare from just about everyone in the room.

Jorgen continued, "She seems to be able to create, manipulate, and otherwise control ice and snow. From my understanding nobody has been able to explain how. Granted, until recently no one in this family has talked to her since Idunn divorced Agthar, Elsa and Anna's biological father. Now that she and Anna have been reunited, we need to talk about whether or not Elsa can be a part of this family. He turned to look directly into his wife's eyes. "For your sake." He paused a moment before continuing, "I don't know if it would be wise at this point. You've suffered enough today, and I'm sure you want to rest?"

A small hiccup drew the attention of everyone in the room, including Idunn who had not been expecting to make such a sound. Suddenly she broke into a fit of sobs as tears streamed down her cheeks. Anna rushed to her mother's side without a second thought and brought the older woman into a heartfelt embrace.

"It's OK, Mother, I'm here for you. I'm so sorry about all of this! I didn't mean to hurt you..." Her words fell to silence as her mother continued to sob in her arms. _I've been so horrible to you, but I promise I'll make it up somehow! _

Jorgen placed his hand supportively on Idunn's shoulder as Kristoph squatted beside her to hold her hand. Each family member had rallied to her side in support. Idunn was surprised by the love she felt from all sides, and it quelled her anguish, replaced instead with soft breathing as she settled into place against her family. None dared to speak, lest they interrupt such a rare bonding moment.

A sudden buzzing filled the air as Anna's cell phone sang out 'Reindeer are better than people!', which signaled an incoming message. Anna squeezed her mother once again before she finally let go to check her phone, which was sitting on the coffee table. She frowned when she read the message, which prompted a questioning look from her stepbrother.

"It's Elsa. I kind of forgot to text her to say I got home safe. Uh...let me do that real quick." Anna felt herself blush as she typed the words out. _This has _got _to be karma giving me a kick in the ass for earlier._ She typed out a short message and sent it off before anyone could call her out on breaking another promise. Anna looked around the room sheepishly before she set her phone to silent and set it on the table once again.

"So, um, we were getting to my death sentence?" she said with an awkward laugh. Around the room, everyone looked at her with much less serious expressions than before. Even her stepfather, who had always been the stern disciplinarian of the family, smiled ever so slightly. "OK, this is kind of creepy with everyone smiling like that. Am I not in trouble anymore?"

"Oh, no, you're still in trouble young lady. However, consider the sentence lightened by, shall we say, mitigating circumstances." Her stepfather's expression had regained it's usual inscrutability. "You will continue to work, and do your chores as normal. On top of that, you're to assist Kristoph with his chores, and you're grounded for two weeks. If Rapunzel wishes to see you, I will allow her and only her to come over. Not only this, but you will spend your evenings down here with us so that we may spend more time together as a family. I think we could all try to understand each other a bit better."

He glanced over at Idunn, to gauge her reaction - she looked shocked, to say the least, but a smile took shape across her lips. "Y-yes, I think that should be… fine. We wouldn't want to go overboard… and it's clear you understand that you've made some mistakes."

Kristoph looked pleased with the outcome, but still slightly confused. "Sooo, no one's explained how Elsa's got magical powers. How does that even work?" He looked around, in the vain hope that someone would provide a more sufficient answer. When none spoke up, he shook his head in disbelief. "I don't think anyone would believe me even if I did tell them. Which I won't. No, seriously, I won't. Stop looking at me like that guys."

Anna was unable to stifle her giggle at the blonde's futile attempt to save his own dignity. "And whose fault is that, exactly? You're the one who spilled the beans earlier!" She sassed at him, but her expression gave away just how playful she was being.

With a roll of his eyes, Kristoph stood up to stretch. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay up and chat, I need to get to bed. Work comes early, when you unload trucks for a living. Goodnight, my wonderful, sometimes crazy family." With that, he trudged up to his room to a trio of warm wishes for a good night's sleep.

"Well, with that I think I should go to bed, too?" Anna half declared, half asked. When both her parents gave her a nod, she scooped up her phone and made her way to her room. She wasn't quite tired since she'd had a rather restful nap with Elsa earlier, so she once she'd changed into her pajamas and closed the door she got right to texting both her sister and Rapunzel about the night's events. She was careful not to let slip any information about Elsa's secrets to Rapunzel, even though the desire to was overwhelming.

Elsa was slow to respond, to the point that Anna had told her cousin everything already. _So now Kristoph knows, and your stepfather has all along? I suppose there's nothing that can be done about it. I'm sad that I won't see you for two weeks, Anna._

_Yeah, I know! But it'll be over in a flash, and then I'll give you the biggest hug ever!_


	7. Ending

I regret to say that this fic is no longer being worked out. I apologize for all those who were following it, but I'm working on a new story that combines this fic with my other one, and adding in a few new elements. It's a much better story, hosted on AO3 under the same profile name as here. Please support me over there if you want to see more from me.


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